


Is... This a date?

by Data_HEX



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Comfort, Communication, Heartbreak, Lack of Communication, M/M, Running Away, confronting your fears, making amends, scared of relationships, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Data_HEX/pseuds/Data_HEX
Summary: Balthier and Basch had a history of dancing around each other. Longing stares, soft touches, inside jokes between the two.When things would get too "real"  for Balthier, he leaves in the middle of the night, leaving behind a note saying his goodbyes.Just when Basch thinks he's moved on, Balthier shows back up, stirring up all those feelings and emotions again.
Relationships: Balthier/Basch fon Ronsenburg
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Is... This a date?

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting as a WIP for about a month and I've finally finished the first part. Tags will be updated as I post more.
> 
> It will be a back and forth between the two perspectives of each man, until it comes together when they finally meet again. I'm not sure how long it will be yet, or how regularly I will be able to update it. Muses come and go at their own pace~
> 
> Enjoy.

-Basch-

Basch had been looking over various reports from Lady Ashe and others in the last bit of the resistance they could count on when Vaan dropped by, with a box. Basch looked at the box, then back to Vaan confused. “What is this?”

Vaan shrugged, and set it on the table. “Dunno. I’m just the delivery boy, but it was delivered to Migelo’s today, with your initials on it. Someone has an admirer.” Vaan winks, before he turns to head out. “Seeya, Basch.” 

“Thanks Vaan…” Basch calls out as the boy leaves, looking at the box again. He trails his fingers along his initials, and sighs softly. 

Balthier. 

Balthier and Fran had left in the middle of the night again, not ones to really say goodbye. Basch had woken to a note on the side table. Since then, he had received a few letters here and there, but this… He wasn’t expecting a full package. 

Tugging on the strings that held the package closed, he unties them, and opens the lid. Inside sat a note on top, and what looked like clothing of some sort? He pulls the note out first to read it.

_“Basch,_

_I’ve made reservations to have dinner together when I come back into the city. Semi-formal dress. I took the liberty of getting you an outfit, since I know you wouldn’t want to go and find something on your own. Don’t worry, it’s definitely tailored more for your likes than my own personal preference, but I have a feeling you will like it._

_See you in a week._

_~Balthier”_

Basch read over the note a second, and then third, time. Was Balthier asking him out on a date? What had possessed Balthier to go to these lengths for an evening with Basch, especially after being gone for the length he has been? A simple meal together would have sufficed.

The two men had danced around each other for months. Casually flirting, before both admitting there was something forming under the surface. Balthier had been the one to pull away though, stating that his lifestyle didn’t have room for romantic interests, but good friends were always welcomed. 

Basch resigned himself to just be a good friend, and thought he was good at pushing his feelings aside, until Balthier would come back, and everything resurfaced. The smiles, the inside jokes. The longing glances shared between the two. 

He knew they were playing a dangerous game, and they both could get burned in the end unless something changed. Yet, he still chased those feelings each time, knowing Balthier would tell him he cared deeply for him, and then leave again to go off on another adventure. 

Sighing, Basch sets down the note and turns his focus towards the clothing left in the box. His own clothing preference was more earthy tones with a few mismatched reds and greens mixed in, light and loose fitted. Living in the desert meant your clothes really could help or hinder your survival outside of the city. 

Balthier on the other hand was always prim and proper with his clothing. Preferring golds, blacks, whites, with very little color, aside from the rings on his hands. Knowing this he was definitely curious to see what Balthier would have picked for him. 

Pulling out the first item, Basch smirks. Balthier had gone for a middle ground. Bronze, brown, and black. It was a vest. Dark brown, with bronze laces up the front, an intricate design had been stitched into the fabric. A tan undershirt with an incredibly low v-neck sat under it. 

"Of course, can't show off too much skin." Basch snorts, shakes his head, and sets those items aside to pull out the pants. They were a light leather material, black in color. Very soft and yielding. They too had intricate patterns stitched into the material which Basch found appealing. He traces his fingers over them and smiles, knowing Balthier had a hand in these.

Glancing at the box, there’s one last thing to round out the outfit. Black, with bronze laces like the vest, calf length boots. Basch trails his fingers along the side and sighs. Definitely something he would wear, with a touch of sky pirate for Balthier’s tastes. 

“You always said you’d make me into a sky pirate. At least I will be dressed the part when I see you next.” he sighs, and slowly puts the clothes back into the box. He would try them on later when he was done with the day, alone in his quarters, and knew no one would walk in on him. While he knows Vaan will already be gossiping with Penelo about the box, the last thing he needs is to be seen in the clothing before the date arrives. 

As he stood there, there was a nagging thought at the back of his head. Why now? Why would Balthier go to these lengths _now_ , when he had had so many other chances before? Did the man think that Basch would wait forever for him? Even he had his limits on how long he would wait for a person, even for one who was so closely intertwined with his heart. Basch had lost two years of his life, he refuses to lose anymore time. Especially waiting for something that may never happen, no matter how much it hurts to walk away.

“Sometimes walking away is the better option.” he muses to himself out loud, giving the box a longing stare before returning to his reports. Lady Ashe would return soon, and the afternoon would be filled with long talks over what the best course of action would be to take next. Enough stuff to take his mind off the clothing, the date, and Balthier.


End file.
